Malamaal Weekly in Kerala: So, who won the Rs 12 cr Onam bumper lottery?

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Thiruvananthapuram: Confusion continued over the winner of the Rs 12 crore Kerala Lotteries Onam bumper, after a Dubai resident Sayed Alavi, who hails from Wayanad, said he was the owner of the ticket. The lottery result was announced on Sunday evening.

Priced at Rs 300, the ticket was sold from Meenakshi Lotteries, Tripunithura, which is on the outskirts of Kochi. The distance between Tripunithura and Wayanad is around 280 kms.

Incidentally, the draw of the lucky winner was overseen by two State Ministers on Sunday evening and the winning ticket's number was announced.

Soon after over a dozen TV channels got down to find the owner of the ticket and the only information which they had was it was sold from Tripunithura. Social media also joined in locating the owner issue.

On Monday morning, the wait got over when the TV channels showed the winner and said it was Alavi.

"Yes, I am the winner of the ticket and I took the ticket through my friend, who is from Kozhikode and paid the money online. I spoke to my family and my friend said later on Monday the winning ticket will be handed over to my family in Wayanad," said Alavi.

So far, Alavi's friend has not come out before the public.

Expressing happiness, Alavi said he will build a house of his own as presently he doesn't have one. Alavi has been working in Dubai as an assistant cook in a hotel for the past 11 years.

Back home at his rented house in Wayanad, his family members are perplexed by the windfall. "I have no clue and only when my husband called me and passed the news that the ticket he has purchased has won the first prize, we came to know about it," said his wife.

Now all eyes are on Alavi's friend as it was he who according to Alavi had purchased the ticket. All are waiting to hear from him the details, like when he purchased the ticket as the place is more than 200 kms away from Kozhikode, where he does his own business.

According to sources in the know of things, Alavi after taxes will be getting around Rs 7.50 crore for his investment of Rs 300.

The total revenue generated from the sale of Onam bumper lottery tickets is around Rs 140 crore, of which, after all expenses the state exchequer will get around Rs 4 crore only.